Interchangeable button



March 29, 1960 J. STEIGEYRWALD 2,930,092 INTERCHANGEABLE BUTTON Filed Nov. 27, 1956 I24 I22 I24 I20 v F/GZ Joseph Sig/gerwa/d INVENTOR.

QMWW United States Patent 2,930,092 INTERCHANGEABLE BUTTON Joseph Steigerwald, Spragge, Ontario, 'Canada Application November 27, 1956, Serial No. 624,632

' 2 Claims. (Cl. 24-103), V

This invention relates generally to buttons for garments and related articles, and more particularly has reference to a button so designed as to permit its attachment to a garment without the necessity of using needle and thread.

While buttons having the general characteristics mentioned above are already known in the art, those buttons of the nature described have had deficiencies or undesirable characteristics, which it is proposed to eliminate in practicing the present invention.

To this end, the button constituting the invention, though capable of being manufactured in various forms and designs, is in every instance characterized by the provision of a main or head portion engageable against one surface of the fabric to which the button is to be attached, a locking plate formed as an element separate and distinct from the head portion and engageable against the opposite surface of the fabric, and connecting means extendable through the fabric to connect the head portion and the locking plate together, said connecting means being so designed as to form only a minute perforation in the fabric, thus to damage the fabric to the least possible extent.

A further object of importance is to provide an interchangeable button so designed as to be swiftly connectable to any garment or similar article at a selected location, with the button being adapted for removal from the fabric with equal speed and ease. I A further object is to provide a button which, when attached to the fabric, willbe firmly held against the fabric without possibility of its becoming loosened, the firm connection of the fabric being such that the head portion and the locking plate will be disposed in full face-to-face contact with the opposite surfaces of the fabric, in a manner to clampably engage the fabric between the same without possibility of loosening either the locking plate or the head portion.

Yet another object is to provide a button of the character described which will be freely interchangeable with other buttons, the construction being such that any of various head portions of different shapes and ornamentation can be interchangeably used with a single connecting means and locking plate.

Yet another object is to provide a button that will be so designed as to fully conceal the connecting means, on the outside of the garment or other piece of fabric, so as to provide an attractive appearance that will give no indication as to the actual nature of the button structure.

Still another object is to provide a button of the character described that can be manufactured at relatively low cost from easily obtainable material, will be practical, and yet will be so designed as to be usable for an indefinite period of time without malfunctioning of the component parts thereof.

These together with other objects and advantages which will subsequently become apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing which:

Figure 1 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 diamet- In this form of the invention, there' are provided identical but opposite connecting elements each of which is approximately U-shaped, with a bight portion 116 integral at its ends with the outer extremities of the armate portions 118 of J-shaped legs 120.

Formed in the base 114 are pairs of transversely spaced bores, shaped to receive the free ends of the legs 120,

said bores extending in a common plane parallel to the plane of the outer face of the base 114.

The locking plate 122 in this form of the invention is merely a flat, thin, circular piece, having diametrically opposed, parallel shoulders 124 extending chordally thereof.

In use of this form of the invention, one positions the base 114 against one surface of the fabric, and then, from the opposite side of the fabric, extends the legs of the connecting elements through the fabric and into the coplanar bores of the base. As a result, the arcuate portions 118 of the J-shaped legs project outwardly from the base 114 in opposed relation as shown in Figures 1 and 3, with the bights 116 spaced outwardly a short distance from the fabric F.

The locking plate is engaged against the fabric F by insertion of the locking plate between the confronting, arcuate portions 118 of the respective. legs, and it will be observed, in this regard, that the bights 116 can be shifted outwardly due to the springable nature of the wire material of which the connecting elements are formed, sufliciently to permit extension of the locking plate into position.

When the locking plate has been engaged against the fabric F in its final position, its shoulders 124 will be in longitudinally contacting relation to the bights 116, so as to interengage the locking plate with the connecting elements and hence with the fabric and the head of the button.

In the invention there is the desirable characteristic wherein the button comprises fully separable locking and head components engageable against opposite surfaces of the fabric, with the button further including connecting means for separably interengaging the mentioned components against relative separation while holding the same in clamping engagement with the fabric, said connecting means of the invention being designed to penetrate the fabric while preventing damage to the fabric, or at least reducing said damage to a point where it is completely inconsequential and not apparent to the casual viewer when the button is removed.

Further, the button according to the present invention is designed to facilitate interchange of different buttons, with the locking plates being designed to be used with heads of various ornamental shapes, sizes, etc.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and de-- Patented Mar. 29, 1960f forming apart hereof, where in like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in equivalents may be resorted-to, falling within. the' scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A button comprising; a. head adapted to overlie one surface of an article to which. the button isto be applied; a locking plate adapted to overlie the opposite surface of said article; and connecting means separably interlocking the head and plate in position to clampingly engage the article therebetween, said connecting means comprising identical opposed spring wire elements having spaced, parallel J-shaped leg portions, said elements including a bight portion extending integrally between a shorter end portion of said J-shaped leg porti0ns,.said bight portion being offset beneath a longer leg portion of said J-shaped leg portions, the locking plate including parallel abutment portions, for receiving said bight porti ons in abutting relation thereto with the shorter end portions of said J-shaped leg portions, extending therefrom; said-longer end' portions ofsaid J shaped leg portions being receivable in bores in said head. I

2. A button as set forth in claim 1 in which said head includes a base including a flat outer face overlying said locking plate, said base and head respectively including pairs of parallel aligned bores opening into said outer face for receiving said longer end portions of said J-shaped leg portions therein, said bores extending in a common plane parallel to the plane of the outer face of said base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 346,956 Shelby Aug. 10, 1886 1,715,258 Tonn May 28, 1929 1,899,313 Coquette Feb. 28, 1933 1,982,540 Reich Nov. 27, 1934 Bryce Nov. 6, 1951 

